Phantom of my Heart
by vchanprincess
Summary: Love can make a man mad. Love made Sohpie's dearest friend and benefactor, Erik mad. The Paris Opera House once used to be the undying fame of the country. Now it is a grave and desolate opera house that suffers from the remnants of the fire. Sophie is determined to find Erik and when she finds him, she will be surprised to find out the boy she once knew is no longer there...
1. Prologue

**Paris, France**

"...She's a beauty."

Ethan, one of Sophie's most loyal admirers in the old run down church knocks down the new kid with his knuckles.

"Don't go ogling over our lovey Sophie. Tell you what since you're new here kid, I'll explain how things here goes."

The new kid rubs his head and scowls at Ethan.

"What gives Ethan? You're a kid yourself. I reckon you're not a year older than I am!"

Ethan can feel pairs of eyes watching him. His loyal followers. He puts on a show by disciplining the new kid again with his fists. This time the new kid keeps his mouth shut.

"Listen kid. Around here I'm the boss. You listen and follow me then I can guarantee your future to a good family. It's tough in these drab parts of the town but luckily for us, our angel and saving grace is the gem of the church and keeps this drab place functioning."

The 'angel and saving grace' of the church watches as Ethan once again intimidates one of the new kids. _Oh not again._ Ever since he was a young kid, Ethan's tendency to scare off the new kids with his behavior never seemed to disappear. One of the kids were so traumatized she refused to even speak to another boy.

Sophie sets down the wash bin. She is intent on instilling kindness in the boy for despite the harsh world he was born in, if you are kind then god will surely recognize your efforts.

"Ethan! What did I tell you about intimidating the new kids? Look you see, you've frightened the poor boy."

The kid begins to well up in tears. Ethan shakes his head in disbelief because he is so sure that was only a mere quarter of his mighty strength.

"Sophie...I was just disciplining him. I can't have a new kid going around and thinking he can do whatever he wants. He'll get himself killed out here! I've got to whip him up into a tough soldier."

Sophie narrows her eyes at him.

"Okay Samuel, I'm sorry. I'll be less menacing I promise."

Her eyes narrow even further as Ethan sighs and holds his hand up. She knew he was crossing his fingers. In his mind she could see through every little mischief.

"Samuel, is it?"

He nods and warily looks up at her. "Lady. This place isn't very nice. I miss my parents. I want to go home."

"S-Samuel…"

The poor child, he doesn't know his parents are gone forever from this world. Sophie hugs him close to her chest and pats him on the back. She opens her mouth.

 _Don't cry, Don't cry,_

 _Everything's gonna be alright,_

 _Your loved ones may be far away,_

 _But fear not, fear not,_

 _Their hearts are forever close,_

 _Be good child, be good child,_

 _For the long journey they face away from you,_

 _The heavens surely need them more than we,_

 _Until then, until then,_

 _Be a brave young man to make them proud._

All the kids in the church come out to hear her sing. Even the birds and animal folk stop to pay attention. Blond hair as radiant as the sun that highlights her crystal clear blue eyes. Delicate and porcelain features that are graced with utmost elegance. Sophie is indeed the Church's gem. Someday Ethan will live to tell the tale of the most beautiful woman he has ever laid his young eyes on.

Sophie ruffles the hairs on Samuel's head.

"Brave men don't cry Samuel."

Samuel nods obediently, wiping away the tears at his cheeks. "I'm sure they are busy in heaven and will come back for me when the time is right. Until then I shall be brave!"

"Now that's the spirit! All right children, come now let us all return inside and offer our prayers to the lord."

Sophie smiles in content as she watches the little ones shuffle inside. She lifts the wash bin into her arms.

"...Sophie?"

Paul's familiar voice prompts her to turn around. She smiles and old man Paul feels instantly delighted to be in her presence. Her presence is a breath of fresh air, radiating a soothing spring breeze.

"Good day Sophie, how are you fairing?"

"Good Paul. Thank you. I take it that you have another letter for me?"

"Why yes I do. Again from the mysterious E of the Paris Opera House. If I didn't know any better I would suspect that it is two lovers exchanging letters to one another, eh?"

A blush creeps at Sophie's fair cheeks. "Oh Paul! You still know how to make a woman blush. But you are wrong. E is nothing but a person that I am eternally grateful for. He is none other than my benefactor."

"That smitten look on your face says otherwise girl. Anyway. It's been years since I've been delivering these letters to you. Don't you think it is time you ought to meet this person?"

Meet the person? Why hadn't she ever thought about meeting E? Surely it would be a bother to him. Such a busy person from the opera house may have no business mingling with a mere orphan such as herself.

"E and I have met already long ago. If E wishes to meet with me again then so be it. I won't persist. Have a good day Paul."

"Whatever you say. Good day to you Sophie."

Sophie glances around to make sure that none of the kids are loitering around to take a peek at the letter. Imprinted on the center is a blood red skull. It glints against the rays of light. Her fingers brush over the thick seal.

 _Dear little Sophie,_

 _The nights are sleepless._ _Somber I am, I ponder each day thinking of my beloved. These days I begin to feel myself trapped, within my own fear and relentless anguish, and to the beating of my beloved's heart._

 _Within my mad affairs, I fear this will be our last correspondence. I am a man overcome with jealousy. Maddening anger. Impulsive tendencies. I am becoming someone...something I am not. Little Sophie, I am not the boy I used to be. I am warping into the devil himself. The time I have spent writing these letters were a great joy. Best regards to you and the church._

 _I have deposited XXX Francs inside. Do as you will with it._

 _Farewell._

 _Sincerest, E._

Droplets of water stain the letter. Sophie wipes away the tears with her fingers. Her heart lurches for him as his words utter great pain and frustration. This man who she met once in her youth has been with her ever since the death of her father. He has offered words of comfort and encouragement all these years. To her, Erik is like another family member that cannot be replaced.

She shakes her head in determination. Their friendship does not end on his terms. Sophie will find him and and when she finds him...She has no clue but for starters she would like to express her gratitude.


	2. Chapter 1

The tragedy that befell the Paris Opera House remained the talk of the town for months to come. Some say the owner of the opera house had gone mad due to post war affairs and tried to burn the place alive. Others say that the recent eerie events plaguing prima donna Christine Daae before she disappeared is to blame.

Sophie...she believes none of it. She would rather hear the story from Erik himself as to what brought down his life's dream. He may have gone mad but perhaps what spent him a decade to build and flourish would not be destroyed by his own hands. There must be a reason. Sophie believes that she will find the answer to the whereabouts of her old friend.

To start her search, she must look for clues to where it all began.

The Paris Opera House. Standing just beyond her reach, stood the once country renowned opera house that captured the hearts of many who entered. Now it is only but a shell of its former glory.

Sophie's shoes crunch against brown crestfallen leaves. She weaves her way through the thick branches that obstruct the entrance to the opera house. It stands before her tall and desolate, devoid of life.

There is no turning back. She makes her way over to the towering gates.

The winter blows a cold breeze toward two middle aged men. They brush over dust and air with brooms. One of them, Armand Moncharmin wrings out his hands back and forth in frustration. His mind has surely been filled with snow bunnies by now.

"I've scrubbed the entirety of this stone floor a gazillion times. Ah, my mind is going mad with boredom! Oh how I missed the sparkling days of the Opera House. Now? It's halloween day by day."

"Heh. Then shall we perhaps, indulge in a little game then monsieur?"

"Monsieur Firmin, you do know how I love games. Alright, what will it be?"

Firmin ponders it over in his head. A brilliant idea comes to mind.

"Ah! We can indulge in a game of wits. I say-"

Monsieur Firmin's words come to an abrupt halt as a woman's voice echoes in the distance. They both look at each other in unison as if to confirm that they really did indeed hear a woman's voice. Armand opens his mouth to respond but Firmin raises his hand to silence him. Both men approach the voice of the woman cautiously.

"Hello? Anyone there!"

Sophie's cries echo throughout the vicinity. Her teeth chatter and grind against each other. She is miles away from the nearest loding and has been screaming at the top of her lungs amongst the blazing snow for minutes now.

Maybe she shouldn't have been so reckless as to believe someone would still be present at the paris opera house. After all carriages don't just come flying from thin air in this era and age. There is no other way to get to the next lodging unless she walks on foot but by then she'd be frosty the snowman.

"Hello? Is there anyone there? I would like to have a word with you! Please, I beg you! Let me in!"

Both men creep behind one of the thick trees.

 _Would you look at that. A woman!_ Firmin and Armand don't remember the last time they laid eyes on a woman and a pretty one too. She is picture perfect against the scenery of velvety blankets of snow. Her clothes are old with visible holes that seem almost too small to fit her actual body size. They watch as her body trembles against the airy snow.

"We should let the poor girl in. She may freeze to death."

Firmin shakes his head. "Nay, don't you remember monsieur? He has forbade anyone, especially women to enter this place. We'll be throttled, or worse, buried underneath the snow alive!"

"Oh we've been lacking in human interactions but we should still have heart ya old fool. I'd rather die than watch someone in front of me suffer a slow and pointless death. Come, help me remove the locks from the gates so we can let the poor girl inside."

Armand ignores his friends worries and proceeds toward the girl. Firmin repeatedly shakes his head in fear and pulls his dear friend back.

"Oh no no no no no. He is NOT going to like this. I repeat if you go over there I'm afraid we're dead meat for the wolves out there."

"Well what do you suppose we do? Ah! Looks like she is planning her break in eh?"

Firmin watches slack jawed as the woman has her skirts hiked up with her hands positioned on the bars. He turns away as no proper woman should ever expose their knees to other gentlemen unless it is her husband of course.

Armand clicks his tongue. "Come, let us inform him of the unwanted visitor lingering out in the front gates before she becomes a sack of bones out here."

Both men scurry through the snow and into the Paris opera house. The unwanted visitor in question is determined not to give up until she is able to set foot inside. Sophie closes her eyes and prays to the lord like a mantra. _Oh please lord, help me through this and guarantee my entrance and survival._ She did not come this far to turn back. With all her might, Sophie uses the rocks as stepping stones to climb onto the stone walls. The walls have areas which her foot can step on.

The only trick is to keep finding positions so her arms and legs can continue to proceed. Her body warms up as she holsters herself halfway through the stone wall. _Whatever you do Sophie, don't look down._ She looks down. At that precise moment, her legs misses the next crevice. Cold gusts of wind blows against her skin. She closes her eyes and a bone rattling sound echoes. Deep pain forces her eyes to jolt open. The fall was securely broken by one of her legs which now throbs and has become streaked with a deep purple bruise.

How fantastic. Now her chances of survival were close to none. Sophie leans against the gates. The fatigues slowly washes over her mind. _Oh what a stupid girl you are Sophie!_ No use becoming angry at oneself. She needed to think and quick!...But it was useless as her body grew numb all over. The lids that fought to stay open flutter away to complete darkness.


End file.
